Paper
by molly2012
Summary: Very short, very fluffy oneshot. It's Gibbs and Ziva's first wedding anniversary.


_Semed appropriate to post this today! Hope you enjoy, reviews always welcome :))_

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Gibbs gave a small sigh of satisfaction, and stepped back to admire his handiwork. For once, he was pleased with it. He ran his hands over the smooth curve of the hull, the initials painted on the side, before picking up a small piece of sandpaper and rubbing the edge lightly. It didn't really need it, but he couldn't help tinkering with it just a little bit more. He wanted it to be perfect.

He had wanted to get her a gift, but he had no idea what. Flowers seemed too ordinary, chocolates the same. The thought of going to the lingerie section of the department store made him cringe. He had always felt that wedding anniversaries were almost as bad as Valentine's Day. In the end, it had been a conversation with Ducky over the autopsy table that had given him the idea.

'_Traditionally, of course, a first anniversary gift should be made of paper'. Ducky lifted an unidentifiable organ onto the weighing scales for inspection, before handing it to Palmer and turning back to the body on the table, scalpel in hand. _

'_I know that, Duck'. _

'_And cotton for second'. He paused. 'And yes, I remember my aunt in Scotland getting very worried about the third. Leather, you know'. _

'_So am I meant to buy her a copy of the Washington Post?'_

_Ducky laughed. 'Oh, I'm sure you can be more creative than that, Jethro. Now, if you'll excuse me…..' He waved the scalpel in the air. 'Mr Palmer? We should begin putting our friend here back together'. _

He picked up the toy-sized boat and turned it over in his hands, being careful not to crush the paper sail that he had carefully attached to the thin wooden mast. It was an exact replica – or, at least, as exact as he could make it – of the boat they had hired for a week on honeymoon to sail around the Keys. He remembered Ziva's look of astonishment when he had suggested it. For all he spent his free time building boats, he knew she had doubted whether he could actually sail one. And for someone who wasn't usually considered a romantic, it had been a pretty romantic idea.

A small noise made him look up. Ziva was standing halfway down the stairs that led to the basement, still in her work clothes, watching him with a small smile on her face. She had stayed late at the office to finish off some paperwork. He had not heard her come in, and held up the boat with a rueful smile.

'Meant to be a surprise for tomorrow'.

She checked her watch.

'Actually it is four minutes past midnight. So technically our anniversary is today'.

She walked down the rest of the stairs towards him, and he handed the wooden model to her. Her smile became one of wonder as she realized exactly what it was. Finally tearing her eyes away from the boat, she looked up at him and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

'Jethro, this is amazing. You made this for me?'

He smiled and nodded, kissing her softly on the forehead.

'Of course'.

She smiled back through wet eyes. 'It was a wonderful week', she said softly, running her fingers down the sail.

Gibbs nodded, moving behind her so that he could rub her shoulders and breathe in the scent of her hair.

'Make you a cotton sail for next year'.

Ziva was silent for a moment as Gibbs slowly massaged her shoulders through her shirt, her hair brushing against his face. When she spoke, her voice was quiet but teasing.

'You think we will make it to two, then?'

The question took him by surprise, and his fingers stopped their work to rest on her neck.

'Why would you ask that?'

She shrugged and smiled, even though he could tell the question was a serious one. 'Because I am me, Jethro. I still cannot quite believe that you want to be with me, even though we are married. Every day I wonder if you will come to your senses and leave'.

He sighed. Part of him actually wanted to laugh at such an absurd idea, but he knew that, for Ziva, it was a real possibility.

'That's strange', he said quietly, his fingers now working their way through her hair. ''Cause every day I think I love you a little bit more, not less'. He turned her gently around to face him.

'Really?' she whispered. Her brown eyes searched his, looking for reassurance.

He nodded, stroking her cheek.

'Gonna keep telling you 'til you believe it'.

She smiled her eyes drawn once more to the little boat she still held in her hands.

'Thank you'.

He wasn't sure if the whisper referred to the boat or to what he had just said, but it didn't really matter.

'Happy anniversary, Ziver', he said softly.

She lifted her face to his.

'Happy anniversary, Jethro'.


End file.
